OTHER ACTIVITIES
During the year (1986-87), the National Policy on Education was
National Policy on Education 1986 finalised after an intensive national debate. The Policy adopted by
and Programme of Action Parliament in May, 1986 was followed up by an elaboration through the
Programme of Action which was placed before Parliament and adopted
in August, 1986. The Policy and the Programme of Action give shape
to the Address, of the Prime Minister in 1985, when he declared that our
educational system needed to be reconstructed as a dynamic force for
national growth and integration and a national consensus of reform had
to be built.
A major start has been made with some of the programmes such as
the National Open University which has already initiated courses in
Management and Open Learning Systems. The Scheme of Navodaya
Vidyalayas has been brought under implementation and 205 schools have
been opened. The scheme of free education for girls upto the Higher
Secondary stage has been implemented and the amounts the State Govern-
ments U. T. Administrations have had to forego on account of providing
free education to girls, have been reimbursed to them. An outline of the
National Core Curriculum is at the stage of finalisation. NCERT has
evolved national curricular framework in consultation with State Govern-
ments. Pending the launching of a Mass Movement for Functional
Literacy, a beginning was made during the last summer vacation to involve
2 lakh college students in functional literacy programmes on voluntary
basis. A massive Teacher Orientation Programme was organised to
cover 5 lakh teachers each year, during the summer vaction of 1986 and
1987. Schemes in regard to other important areas such as Operation
Blackboard, Vocationalisation, District Institutes of Education and Train-
ing, Science Education, and Non-Formal Education have been formulated
after intensive discussions with various agencies. Other major areas of
implementation include removal of obsolescence and modernisation in
Technical Education, establishment of autonomous colleges, consolidation
and quality improvement in Higher Education, etc.
The major focus during the year was on implementation of the
National Policy on Education. Conferences of State Education. Secretaries
and Education Ministers were convened on 13-14 February and 25-26
April, 1987. While the Conference in February discussed details relating
to universalisation of elementary education, operation blackboard, non-
formal education and teacher training, the April Conference discussed
vocationalisation of education. A meeting of the Central Advisory Board
of Education was convened on 25-26 June to review the implementation
of the National Policy on Education. Since a major responsibility in
implementation of the National Policy on Education rests on the Central
Advisory Board of Education, which is to review the progress of education
from time to time and to appraise the extent and manner in which the
Education Policy has been implemented by the Central and State Govern-
ments and other concerned agencies, and to advise regarding co-ordination
between the Central and State Governments, as also non-governmental
agencies, nine Committees have been constituted to lay down guidelines
for formulation of programmes and schemes as well as to monitor and
evaluate the implementation of programmes envisaged in the NPE. These
Committees relate to the following areas :-
1. Elementary Education (including Operation Blackboard and
NPE).
2. Content Processes of Education, particularly at the school
stage.
3. Housing facilities for Women Teachers.
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4. Transfer of Teachers.
5. Vocationalisation of Education.
6. Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and other educationally
deprived groups.
7. Management of Education.
8. Common School System.
9. Development of Languages and Language Teaching.
Most of these Committees have already held their meetings.
The progress of the implementation of the NPE has been reported to
Parliament and copies of the document entitled : National Policy on
Education-Implementation Report have been laid in both the Houses of
Parliament on 28th August, 1987.
The Ninth All India Conference on Educational Statistics was held
Educational Statistics on 25-26 May, 1987 at New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Shri P. K.
Patnaik, Joint Secretary. The Conference was attended by the Statistical
Officers incharge of Educational Statistics in State Education Departments,
Officers from various Central Departments/Organisations, namely, Central
Statistical Organisation, Planning Commission, Directorate General of
Health Services, Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, National Informatic
Centre, National Council of Educational Research & Training, National
Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, Institute of Applied
Manpower Research, and non-official members. The Conference inter
alia discussed the following items/issues :-
(i) Time lag in collection/publication of educational statistics.
(ii) Computerisation of educational statistics.
(iii) Implementation of the Plan Scheme 'Establishment of Central
Cells in States for introduction of MIS'.
(iv) Collection of statistics of 'Correspondence Courses in India'
The XII Meeting of the Standing Committee on Educational Statistics
was held on 30-10-1987 under the chairmanship of Shri P. K. Patnaik,
Joint Secretary. The Committee reviewed the progress made by the
Ministry in clearing the backlog of arrears in collection of annual statistics
on education and other items of work like computerisation of educational
statistics,. etc.
The following publications were brought out during the year :-
1. A Hand Book of Educational and Allied Statistics-1987.
2. Education in India-1978-79 (Vol. I, II & III)
3. Education in India-1977-78 (Vol. III)
4. Education in India-1980-81 (Vol. I) (under print)
5. Education in India-1981-82 (Vol. I)e
6. Education in India-1980-81 (Vol. II) (under print)
7. Selected Educational Statistics-1984-85
8. Selected Educational Statistics-1985-86
(under print)
9. Boards of Secondary Education in India-Results of High School and Higher
Secondary Examinations-1981-82.
10. Boards of Secondary Education in India-Results of High School and Higher
Secondary Examinations-1983-84.
11. Selected Information on School Education-1984-85
12. Indian Students/Trainees going abroad-1981-82 and 1982-83.
13. Directory of Institutions or Higher Education-1981-82.
14. District- wise Educational Statistics- 1981-82-(Vol. III)-Kerala,
15. District-wise Educational Statistics-1981-82 (Vol. IV)-Karnataka.
100
A theme oriented Study on 'Correspondence Courses in India' has
been finalised recently. This Study will provide useful data on correspon-
dence courses conducted by different universities/boards and other institu-
tions in the country.
A large number of enquiries for statistical data from various national
and inter-national organisations wore entertained.
Plan outlay for Education In the Annual Plan for 1987-88, an outlay of Rs. 1746.63 crores
(Comprising Rs. 825.00 crores in the Central Sector and Rs. 921.63 crores
in the State Sector) has been agreed to by the Planning Commission in
Revised Estimates for 1987-88. In the Seventh Plan (1985-90), an outlay
of Rs. 5657.08 crores (Comprising Rs. 1938.64 crores in the Central
Sector and Rs. 3718.44 crores in the State Sector) has been agreed to by
the Planning Commission. For 1988-89, Rs. 1503.10 crores have been
proposed for Education in the Central Sector.
The National Policy on Education 1986 lays special emphasis on the
Education of Scheduled Castes/Sche- removal of disparities and strives for equalisation of educational opportu-
duled Tribes and other Backward nities by attending to specific needs of those who have not been able to
Sections take full advantage of the present educational system. The SC/ST form
the weakest section of our society.
The Programme of Action in Chapter XIII envisages a number of
steps for the improvement of educational status of SC/ST and other weaker
sections. In order to review and advise on matters relating to educational
programmes for SC and ST at the national level, a CABE Committee has
been formed under the chairmanship of Smt. Rajendra Kumari Bajpai,
Minister of State in the Ministry of Welfare. The first meeting of the
Committee was held on 24th September, 1987. The Committee studied
in depth the existing arrangements, programmes, schemes, etc. meant for
the educational development of the weaker sections and has come out
with a number of recommendations in respect of coordination between
various departments implementing the programmes, timely disbursement of
scholarships and other incentives, introduction of remedial and special
coaching, etc.
Draft Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan for 1988-89
have been prepared. For these two plans, 14.2 % and 7.5 % respectively
of the total divisible outlay have been earmarked.
Education of Minorities The programmes for the educational development of minorities were
pursued during the year under report according to Prime Minister's 15-
Point Directive for the improvement of minorities. An account of the
programmes is given below :-
(i) Vocational Training :-
In the ten community polytechnics in areas of minority concentra-
tion, more than 7000 persons were trained through short-term
vocational courses in various skills/crafts. According to the
available, information more than 2000 trainees have been
gainfully employed/self employed.
(ii) Coaching Classes :-
The UGC implements a scheme of providing assistance to universi-
ties and colleges for providing coaching to students from
educationally backward minorities. The coaching is done
for preparing the students for competitive examinations. More
than 1500 students have been provided coaching under this
programme.
(iii) Review of Text-books :-
The school text-books are being evaluated from the view point of
national integration. The aim is to remove materials and
approached which directly or indirectly perpetuate untouchabi-
lity, racialism, regionalism, casteism, communalism, etc. from
101
text-books prescribed at schools and college levels, with a
view to promote national integration and emotional unity. In
the first phase, the text-books of History and Languages have
been reviewed. In the Second phase, the text-books of Geo-
graphy, Civics, Economics, etc. are being evaluated.
(iv) Training of Teachers:-
The Programme of orientation of principals and managers of
minority managed schools and training of teachers of minority
managed schools in career guidance, teaching of science,
mathematics, English and vocationalisation is in progress.
Allotment of Concessional White Consequent upon repeal of the Paper Control Order and the Paper
Printing Paper to thr States/ (Regulation of Production) Order, 1978 w.e.f. 22nd January, 1987,
/UTs for Educational Sector Government of India have brought out a new scheme under which supply
of white printing paper to the educational sector has been ensured. Under
the new scheme, States/UTs will continue to get concessional papers at
Rs. 7560/- per MT. Hindustan Paper Corporation, a Government of India
Enterprise, has been entrusted the responsibility to supply paper to the
States/UTs. at Rs. 7560/- per MT and shall claim subsidy from the Depart-
ment of Education against their quoted price of Rs. 10,910/- per MT
subject to the ceiling of Rs. 3000/- per MT. A provision of Rs. 24 crores
has been made for the purpose during the year 1987-88. A quantity of
80,000 MTs of paper has been allotted during the year 1987-88. Use of
the paper by the States/UTs has been restricted to the printing of school
text-books, exercise books and examination answer sheets.
Receipts of white Printing Paper Under the bilateral agreement between the Government of Kingdom
under he Bilateral Agreement between of Norway and the Government of India, white printing paper worth
the Government of Kingdom 3500 MTs valued at Rs. 3.66 crores is expected to be received during the
of Norway and the Government of Plan of Operation, 1987. The entire paper is allotted to NCERT, an
India autonomous organisation of this Ministry, for the printing of school text-
books.
The following are the Revised Estimates 1987-88 and Budget Esti-
mates 1988-89 in respect of the gift paper :-
RE BE
1987-88 1988-89
Rs. Rs.
1. Major Head '3606' H.1(1) Gift Paper- 3,66,00,00 3,66,00,000
Non-Plan
(National Value).
2. Major Head '2202' C.6(5)(1)-Gift 1,00,00,000 1,00,00,000
Paper from Norway (Incidental Expenses)
National Institute of Educational The National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration
Planning and Administration (formerly the National Staff College for Educational Planners and Adminis-
Publication Unit trators) was established by the Government of India in 1970 by taking
over the Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration which
had been set up in 1962 under a 10-year agreement with UNESCO. It is
an autonomous institution fully financed by the Government of India.
The main activities undertaken by the Institute include : training and
reorientation of senior educational administrators from the Centre, States
and school, university and non-formal and adult education systems, accord-
ing to their needs and backgrounds ; research in problems of educational
planning and administration, consultancy and extension services in these
areas to the State governments and other organisations ; organisation of
seminars, workshops and conferences on themes of topical interest in
educational planning and administration ; and providing training and re-
search facilities to other countries specially of Asian region and to inter-